Warmth
by yellowgreenred
Summary: SwedenxFinland. Oneshot from Finland's POV. Rated T for implied sex. Mostly fluff.


Christmas was coming, I could feel it in the air. I know, I know, that sounds so cliché, but there was a kind of truth in it. The air felt different in the run up to Christmas. It was full of excitement and panic, joy and dread. Different people had different opinions on the holiday, many didn't celebrate it, and some didn't bother with it anymore. It was tradition to spend it with one's family and loved ones, though 'family' didn't always seem like the most exciting idea, I thought. Especially when your 'family' is as mismatched and hectic as mine. Still, with the commotion, mess, overeating and of course, drinking, even 'family' gatherings were not always _that_ bad.

My favourite part of the whole holiday was decorating the house. Su-san would help me retrieve last year's decorations from the attic, and we'd sort through them one by one, repairing whichever ones had broken in storage (or at the Christmas party, thanks to Denmark). There were baubles, plastic reindeer and sleighs, paper cut-outs of stars and trees that Sealand had made a few years ago, and intricately detailed carved wooden stars by Su-san. Everything seemed to glow and glitter in the large cardboard box marked 'joulu', and just seeing them all made me sigh happily, I loved Christmas. Even though Su-san was wearing his usual stern expression, I was sure he was also feeling happy behind those glazed-over glasses, even if it was unspoken.

The tree was already up, ominous in the corner of our traditional-style house. It was real, of course, and its black needles were already scattered on the floor underneath it. I had become quite used to brushing them up daily, after all it wouldn't be good at all if little hanatamago was to eat any of them. Sealand had also taken to stealing a few and playing about with them, which Su-san didn't think was a good idea either, and so they were usually confiscated as soon as possible and thrown outside. The tree shone with a few strands of tinsel, awaiting the rest of its decorations. And Christmas eve, I would bake some traditional gingerbread, and add them to the tree as a final touch.

It was surprisingly warm inside, the windows misting up slightly, outside being a winter wonderland in the most literal sense. How wonderful it was that children across the world became more and more excited as Christmas eve got closer, hoping that Santa would pay them a visit. It wasn't just children that anticipated it though. I always got so excited and 'in the spirit' (as America had once mentioned) that other nations had started to call me 'Santa'! It wasn't unwelcome, though; I found a lot of satisfaction and joy in taking people gifts, and of course I wore the entire get-up. Nothing less for my favourite time of the year!

However, it usually took a long while for Su-san and I to prepare the house for Christmas. The season seemed to make him clingy, and I would often find myself moving back from adjusting a decoration only to walk into him. And then those arms would wrap around me, and although part of me wanted to pull away on impulse (like I always tended to do in public), there was something a lot warmer about them to me at Christmas.

There was no denying that outside was freezing; even Hanatamago, with her thick fur coat was huddled in one of my scarves on the floor for warmth. Sweden sometimes lit candles along the windowsills and on the table. He told me once that it was to attract any lost souls outside, to give them a little warmth and salvation. I adored this idea, and would spend many times just sitting on the couch, puppy in lap, gazing at them. It felt like by watching their small, delicate little dances in the slight draft that I would somehow absorb their warmth, their very essence.

But then Su-san, having finished whatever he had been preparing in the kitchen, would move over and sit beside me on the couch. His hands were often cold, even if the house was warm, and I would tend to jump slightly as those fingers brushed against my flushed cheek. There was no pulling away here, not in our own home. I suspected that the other nations already knew that we had gotten this close, but I valued my identity as an independent nation, and so my stubbornness is what voiced my denials in public. Right now, there was no denial. Another hand had slipped behind my shoulders, pulling me closer. I smiled warmly. His smell was so familiar, I couldn't imagine not experiencing it any more, and yet it had once been the smell of an uncertain future. His eyes, once an intimidating front that seemed to stare into my being, were now much softer and I had come to see how deep, and beautiful they were.

Once again, I jumped a little, not noticing the hand that had just moved down onto my hip until his fingers were sliding carefully under my shirt. They were slightly warmer on my skin, we heated each other, I always believed. Smiling more, I leaned in to kiss my lover, stealing a little bit of his breath, as he did mine.

It was December, and many degrees below freezing.

There was snow and ice everywhere, nothing escaped the cruel, but beautiful white blanket of winter.

And yet, I was warm. I was incredibly warm. I had realised that no matter how many candles were lit in our house, no matter how welcoming the appearance, with the beautiful tree, and the decorations, the smell of home cooking and gingerbread, nothing could compare to the absolute glowing warmth that my lover gave me, and which I gladly returned.

Like tradition, we exchanged our gifts to one another, and watched Christmas eve pass by in each others arms, the afterglow not leaving for hours.

[[Author's notes:

I decided to use 'Su-san' instead of 'Sweden' or 'Ruotsi' as I feel it is more liked? I tend to use 'Ruotsi' in roleplay though. But then again it would have meant I should have translated 'hanatamago' to 'kukkamunna'.

I guess this is slightly AU? Meaning in this fic Finland isn't Santa, it's just a nickname C:

AHAHA well. This is a bit different from the first fic I showed, isn't it. I love SuFin though, and I had to get this out of my head, so to speak. ]]


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